Retail Giant Wal-Mart Opens Export Office

Published 7:00 pm, Thursday, February 13, 2003

Wal-Mart Stores is getting into the export business.

The world's largest retailer announced the formation Friday of an office, which it says could make it easier to get U.S.-manufactured products into its stores overseas. The of GP USA Export office is as a branch of Wal-Mart Global Procurement, formed last year.

Wal-Mart's stores outside the U.S. _ totaling nearly 1,300 _ create a global market for American made products, said Ken Eaton, Wal-Mart's senior vice president for global procurement.

"We know that many products made in the United States are already popular with Wal-Mart customers in these countries, products ranging from popcorn to laundry detergent," Eaton said. "We think there is a growing market for U.S. exports in the other markets where we operate, and we are excited about the opportunities this new office will create."

Wal-Mart spokesman Bill Wertz said the company will work with its suppliers and that for products it decides to market in overseas stores, Wal-Mart will handle logistics and regulatory matters that exporters normally have to deal with. Those matters can be significant barriers to getting U.S. products into consumers' hands in other countries.

Joseph Zodl, who teaches international business at the University of Phoenix, said that support could be an incentive for producers to enter a market that a manufacturer had previously avoided because of concerns that it would involve too much effort and expense.

The new office could also give Wal-Mart "an edge in new products that other stores don't have" in foreign markets, Zodl said.

In the United States, Wal-Mart operates more than 3,390 stores of various varieties, including Neighborhood Markets and Sam's Club warehouse stores. Internationally, the company operates about 1,275 units.